| Press Release February 3rd, 2013 GHANTOOT AND BIN DRAI POLO VICTORY DEBUT AT THE DUBAI POLO GOLD CUP SERIES Triumphs over Abu Dhabi and Mahra makes them leaders in the Silver Cup Ghantoot and Bin Drai Polo started the Silver Cup in the best possible way by beating Abu Dhabi and Mahra Polo in the first day of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2013 (Dubai Open) 16 Goal Handicap tournament at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club. Ghantoot defeated Abu Dhabi by a narrow 11 goals to 10 and Bin Drai made the same against Mahra by 10 to 5. The talent of Argentinean star professional Facundo Sola made Ghantoot a strong opponent for Abu Dhabi that, despite their hard work, could not stop the best polo of the winners. Ghantoot and Abu Dhabi offered a great match with intense and quick polo despite of the rain that fall during all day in Dubai. The good partnership of Pelayo Berazadi and Juan Zubiaurre made things easier for Ghantoot tough triumph. Abu Dhabi, with a great performance of his patron, Faris Al Yabhouni, who score three goals, never gave up and put pressure on Ghantoot during the four chukkers of the game. The difference was on the big talent of Sola and the accurate of his team in the offensive play. In the second hour match, Bin Drai showed his real intentions on this year tournament by defeating Mahra 10 goals to 5. Despite the difference in the score, Mahra was a strong opponent for the winners and during the first two chukkers took the match in a goal to goal battle. With a good tandem made by Juan José Brane and Salvador Ulloa, Bin Drai accelerate in the final chukkers of the game and started to find the goal in practically every offensive play. HABTOOR POLO VS ZEDAN: Silver Cup will continue tomorrow with patron´s Mohammed Al Habtoor team facing Zedan Polo, a strong opponent that has Nachi Heguy in his team, one of the best polo players in the world. The game will start at 4 pm in field 2 of the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club. The Silver Cup will be held till February 16 and the Gold Cup will begin on February 25 and the final will be played on March 15. There will be six teams taking part of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series: Habtoor Polo; Mahra Polo; Zedan Polo; Bin Drai Polo; Abu Dhabi Polo and Ghantoot Polo. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, the tournament has grown in tandem with the city of Dubai. With its exciting mix of top-class sportsmanship and glamour, it has earned a reputation as one of the most prestigious events on the international polo calendar. It’s also one of the most important annual tournaments in the region and always attracts a high profile crowd. This year it looks set to be more popular than ever and some of the most respected names from the world of polo have confirmed their participation. As always the Dubai Polo Gold Cup series promises the very best in sportsmanship, entertainment of the highest level and an atmosphere unlike any other polo event. “I am proud to see Dubai playing host to yet another top polo event,” said Mohammed Al Habtoor, the Chairman of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series during the presentation of the tournament last sunday 27th January. “Each year the event reaches new heights. Dubai has quickly gained popularity and found its place on the Polo world stage. In 2012 the Dubai Gold Cup Series was recognised by the World Polo Tour (WPT). We have been privileged to attract some big names to the event year after year. Of course it is lovely to see many familiar faces (players, officials and spectators), but it is also great to see new faces on and off the field. This year we have upped the stakes by increasing the handicap from 15 to 16 goals. This means the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series (Dubai Open) is now the highest handicapped tournament in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. A great achievement! Last year I was fortunate to lead my team to victory.” Sponsors for this year event include: LA MARTINA: The quintessential international polo brand, representing the elegance, prestige and tradition of the game of polo itself. La Martina is the world’s leading supplier of technical polo equipment and clothing, and the brand of choice of discerning polo professionals worldwide. From its origins in Argentina, La Martina now has over 80 shops across the world from San Tropez to Dubai. La Martina approaches their business in the same way that a high goal polo player approaches the challenge of playing polo; with passion, devotion, and the utmost commitment to excellence. They are dedicated to offering the very best products within the sport of polo – a sport which is fast, competitive and demanding, but which also represents a whole way of living, a culture, a lifestyle – and, in keeping with this, our products can be used both on and off the polo field. This desire for excellence is what we call “La Martina’s commitment”. La Martina is proud to be the Official Clothing Supplier of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2013. BENTLEY EMIRATES: Bentley Emirates the Luxury car manufacturer is once again a sponsor of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup series 2013. Over the last 26 years Al Habtoor Motors – Bentley Emirates has been brining the coveted luxury cars of Bentley Motors to the UAE. Driven by professionalism, quality and high standards, Bentley Emirates continues to serve with utmost confidence and is poised to scale even greater heights. HABTOOR MOTORS: In support of the sporting spirit of the nation, Al Habtoor Motors is proud to present itself as one of the main sponsors of the prestigious Dubai Polo Gold Cup 2013. Al Habtoor Motors’ that has recently been in association with multiple sporting events, is one of the leading automobile distributors in the UAE today and has become synonymous with global brands such as Mitsubishi, MFTBC as well as an impressive choice of luxury cars like Bentley, Bugatti and McLaren. “Dubai Polo Gold Cup is a great opportunity for us to express our interest in the all rounded development of youth in the UAE and we would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for giving this opportunity to us. The recent and proud win of the UAE team at the Gulf cup, indicates the magnitude of potential that is present and is yet to be explored. As a company, Al Habtoor Motors strives to contribute to the spirit of the youth by sponsoring more and more sporting events in the future that will take our great nation to greater heights. Al Habtoor Motors sees this as an ideal opportunity to say thank you to the people of the UAE and we look forward to the event immensely.” ABOUT AL HABTOOR MOTORS Al Habtoor Motors is the exclusive distributor of Mitsubishi, Bentley, Fuso, TEMSA, Bugatti and McLaren in the UAE, and a part of the UAE based diversified multi-billion dirham business conglomerate Al Habtoor Group. Al Habtoor Group has varied interests and substantial investments ranging from Engineering, Real Estate, Hotels, Leasing, Education, Publication and Automobiles. The relationship between Al Habtoor Motors and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) goes way back to 1983, and ever since Al Habtoor Motors has been the exclusive partner for MMC in the UAE. SPEEDFIT: SpeedFit as a part of Al Habtoor Group is proud to be associated with the prestigious Dubai Polo Gold Cup 2013. SpeedFit is a fast maintenance repair facility specializing in Tyres, Lubes and Service for all makes of cars for customers who like to accomplish more than one chore at a time. With exclusive tie ups with leading suppliers such as Mobil oil, Energizer - the Number 1 battery brand and Global Auto Parts – Al Habtoor’s all makes parts supplier, SpeedFit offers a quick turnaround time allowing its customers to enjoy the advantage of convenient working hours, shopping, dining and much more while their vehicle is being attended to by expert staff without any prior appointments. The first of its kind SpeedFit center has opened its head office doors in the Umm Ramool area of Dubai. In the very near future SpeedFit will offer convenient locations across the UAE and GCC for its customers. Mr. Speedy, the friendly mascot of SpeedFit, will be making an appearance at the finale of the Gold Cup on 15th March 2013. The SpeedFit custodian of vehicle safety and duty of care for the motorists in the UAE, Mr. Speedy advocates good vehicle and road safety practices. There are plans in pipeline for ‘Mr. Speedy’ to venture to visit the motorists throughout the UAE as well as universities, hospitals and help to educate vehicle owners on the virtues of maintaining their vehicles in peak shape and to keep their family safe on the busy UAE roads today. Mr. Neil Coolledge, General Manager of SpeedFit, said “We would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for this wonderful opportunity. We are proud to be associated with the prestigious Dubai Polo Gold Cup 2013 and look forward to the action packed tournament of unlimited thrill which promises for the whole family. Our friendly mascot, Mr. Speedy, would be joining us in the finale of the Gold Cup on 15th March 2013 and we welcome everyone present there to join in the fun at the Sport of Kings.” DIAMONDLEASE: DiamondLease is a member of Al Habtoor Group is proud to be associated with the prestigious Dubai Polo Gold Cup 2013. Established in 1996, it has emerged as one of the biggest local car rental company in the UAE with a fleet close to 7500 vehicles, at par or bigger than most of the international franchises in the U.A.E. DIAMONDLEASE was the first car rental & leasing company to be awarded the ISO 9002 certification in 1999, and subsequently upgraded to the latest ISO 9001:2008 standards in 2009. DIAMONDLEASE has been a member of the prestigious Dubai Service Excellence Scheme since October 2003. Diamondlease has a wide network of 16 branches covering Dubai, Dubai International Airport, Habtoor Grand Hotel, Knowledge Village, Dubai Investment Park, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Abu Dhabi City, Abu Dhabi (Mussafa), Sharjah, RAK and Fujairah. The company provides 24-hour emergency road side assistance to all its customers. Diamondlease operations facility in Dubai Investments Park is the largest and ‘best-in-class’. This facility is built up in a 365,000 square feet prime plot in Dubai Investment Park, Jebel Ali, Dubai, and has a capacity to service 150 vehicles per day. Diamondlease has state-of-the-art website www.diamondlease.com for hassle-free and convenient online reservations and service bookings. Diamondlease is available on Facebook.com and can also be followed on Twitter. We are specialized in long term leasing of vehicles - ranging from small/mid-size saloons, 4-wheel drive SUVs, pick-up trucks and buses. We offer a range of vehicles on Daily, Weekly & Monthly hire that are less than 2 years and 50,000 kms. At Diamondlease, customers have the option of selecting vehicles that meet any type of transportation need at very competitive prices. In recognition of its sound business ethics & outstanding customer service, Diamondlease is the first car rental company to have been nominated as a member of the prestigious Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES) since 2003. Diamondlease has been awarded the Middle East and North Africa Travel (MENA) Awards being adjudged the Best Car Rental Company – Local Brand for 7 years in a row starting from 2004. HILDON WATER: Hildon is an English Natural Mineral Water of the highest quality, bottled at the source at the Hildon Estate in Hampshire. Imported from the UK and distributed exclusively by Top Shelf Beverages in the region, Hildon Natural Mineral Water is a proud sponsor and supporter of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup 2013. For more information and to stock Hildon, please contact info@ihs-uae.com or call +971 4 4531782. MEDIA PARTNERS : OK! MIDDLE EAST: The exclusive official media sponsor for the Dubai Polo Gold Cup series 2013 (Dubai Open). OK! Middle East celebrates the celebrity by providing credible news and in-depth features on international and home-grown stars in an engaging, positive and uplifting way – delivered with elegance and flair. Hollywood provides our inspiration for fashion and beauty, and we strive to provide our readers with the tools and trends to look and feel their A-list best. OK! Middle East prides itself on being invited into the homes of the high profile, and are ‘on the list’ when it comes to the glittering red carpet events that are synonymous with our region. The breadth and depth of our international network takes the OK! reader closer to the stars than any other magazine. Welcome to your red carpet entrance into the world of stardom, glamour and celebrity life... welcome to OK! Middle East. SPORT 360 is also the official media sponsor. Sport360° is a daily sports newspaper which offers, for the first time ever, comprehensive sports coverage in the United Arab Emirates with standards of excellence on par with the aspirations of the nation. Sport360°’s goal is to be an effective tool in helping the United Arab Emirates achieves its ambition of becoming an international sports hub, by providing a unique platform through which organizers will have a dedicated communication channel with their core audience, and by enhancing the communication between the United Arab Emirates and the rest of the sporting world. Sport360° offers in-depth coverage, stunning photography, innovative design, professional analysis and compelling reporting by renowned regional and international columnists, making it a must-have for all sport enthusiasts. Other media partners include PoloLine, the world's leading Polo News website, LivingPolo, global polo recongnised website and Al Badia magazine – the premier and highly respected polo and racing lifestyle magazine in Dubai. They will support Dubai Polo Gold Cup by making big daily full coverage of the whole event. Dubai Polo Gold Cup series has been growing by leaps and bounds, and at present is one of the most eagerly awaited polo events in the Middle East. --Ends -- For more information on the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series please visit: Cristina Gusita PR & Event Manager Dubai Polo Gold Cup Cell: +971 50 950 7896 E-mail: cristina@dubaipologoldcup.com For more information visit: www.dubaipologoldcup.com |
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